As I am sure you know, the County Council of Hereford and Worcester
has signed an Agreement of Cooperation with Bekes County in Hungary.
Bekes is a rural area similar in many ways to our County and shares
some of the same problems and challenges. One of these similarities
is the presence in both areas of a significant Gypsy/Roma minority.

In Hungary, however, the Gypsy minority is far better organised in
its growth towards attaining a structure of political leadership and
also better served by the local authorities with officers who
specifically focus on developing Roma social structures and
aspirations.

The Gypsies/Roma also have a much more active cultural sector,
especially in the field of music. I was able to witness this at
first hand during a recent British Council sponsored lecture tour of
Hungary at which I spoke and gave workshops at three different
universities and also met members of the Roma community and learned
of some of the work being done there.

I was particularly impressed by the Ghandi School in Pecs of which
we have no equivalent in this country. Already with some 300 Roma
pupils, it plans to expand to some 500 pupils, and its declared aim
is to provide a professional class of Roma who can serve as role
models to the rest of the young Roma community. If only we could
have something like that here!

I had been asked by the Herefordshire Travellers Support Group and
by the County Council European Development Officer to visit Bekes
County and form links with the community. Among many other
engagements, I attended a day connected with the study of Gypsy
Folklore at which Gypsy bands and dancers performed.

I strongly believe that both the political and cultural framework of
Gypsies in Hungary have many elements from which both the local
authorities and the Gypsies in this area could learn. My visit has
already resulted in interchange of school teachers and a penpal
scheme.

I now, in conjunction with the Travellers Support Group and with the
support of the County Council, am trying to organise an exchange
visit to bring a group from Hungary comprising senior figures from
the Gypsy/Roma fraternity, minority rights officials, interpreters
and the Gypsy band and dance troupe ‘Gyémánt
Gyüru’ (Diamond Ring) to Herefordshire in August.

An invitation has been extended to the latter to play and give
workshops for musicians and dancers in the Three Choirs Festival
Fringe and at other venues in different parts of the County.

As I’m sure you’ll agree, the Gypsy/Roma people are
increasing their awareness of their legal status as a minority group
throughout the countries of the European Union. Along with this
comes a consciousness of the unfavourable and insensitive treatment
they receive, and have received, in almost all the countries where
they are present.

Both you and I have been involved in seeking to help Gypsies/Roma
towards this goal. I think you will agree with me that the situation
could be drastically altered if there were to be a further
development of the will towards policitcal self-determination. This
will involve, among other things, the further development of the
Gypsies own political structures and organisations so that they can
formulate and pursue policies aimed at combating the discrimination
they now suffer and achieve a more established place in the structure
of European peoples.

Such developments would, of course, help to create a greater
attention to the impact of national laws on the Gypsy/Roma minority
and result in more effective ways of, for example, bringing
Gypsies/Roma under the protection of anti-discrimination legislation.

One most important step towards achieving this, it seems to me, is
to develop international links and to build upon the best examples of
the structures and opportunities that currently exist. If the
cultural heritage that Gypsies undoubtedly possess can be more widely
known and appreciated, both by Gypsies and non-Gypsies, this will
result in a marked raising of community pride and morale.

I feel that a visit from another Gypsy community such as the one
that I met in Bekes could have a great impact on the Gypsies in
Herefordshire.

Funding has been found for the two other projects but the much more
expensive project of bringing the musicians and dancers over remains
an obstacle. Discussions have taken place and the enthusiastic
agreement of those in Hungary to a proposed trip has been secured. A
budget has been drawn up and we are approaching interested people
like yourself to see if you have any ideas about where funds could be
made available.

I attach a proposed budget, provisionally agreed with Bekes, and
would very much welcome any suggestions or ideas you may have.

A bit about myself. As you know, I was for many years an executive
member of the Gypsy Council, the most influential Gypsy organisation
in Britain, and for them edited their monthly illustrated newspaper
‘Romano Drom’. At their request I wrote the book
‘Gypsies’, published by Secker and Warburg and in
paperback by Abacus Sphere, the first, and still probably the only,
full length book collection of the oral history of the British Gypsy
people. I have represented the travelling people at public
enquiries, am a member of the Herefordshire Traveller Support Group
and have recently rejoined the Gypsy Council as a non-executive
member.

I have travelled extensively collecting the music of our Gypsy
population and this has resulted in a book ‘Songs from the
Roadside’, an audio cassette with the same title, and a radio
programme. I tour a musical show with two Gypsy singers which has
played at a large number of Gypsy and non-Gypsy gatherings, and am
currently preparing a video cassette version of Gypsy songs which I
believe will be very popular with our Gypsy community and possibly
further afield, and will be sponsored by the Gypsy Council.

I see the bringing of the Hungarian band over as a continuation of
the many projects I have been engaged in aimed to be of positive
value to our Gyspy community.

With all best wishes

Jeremy Sandford

Trip from Bekes County to Hereford for Three Choirs Festival and
other performance venues to give workshops and performances and for
Hungarian Roma to make formal and informal contact with Herefordshire
Gypsies and council officials, to meet British Gypsy musicians and
Charlie Smith, the Gypsy President of the Gypsy Council, and other
Gypsy activists.

Proposed Budget

Those attending:

Gypsy Band and Dance Troupe ‘Gyémánt Gyüru’,

Mrs Erzebet Kovacs, President of the Gypsy Self-Government in
Bekescsaba,

Hevesi József, a representative of Bekes County with special
responsibility for minority groups.

Travel by minibus.

Staying at Lucton School (self catering) or as the guests of Jeremy
Sandford at his home, Hatfield Court, near Leominster (also self
catering).

Travel - Hire of minibus/petrol £1,435.00

Ferry fees £740.00

Insurance £100.00

Salary for 2 drivers/interpreters £245.00

Accommodation for 16 people at £5.00 per night for 7 nights
£560.00

(or equivalent at Hatfield Court as my guests) (£300.00)*

Meals/pocket money @ £120.00 per day £840.00

Contingency, including payment to English Gypsy musicians

to perform £400.00

Total (if staying at Lucton) £4,320.00

Total (if staying at Hatfield Court) £4,060.00

* nominal cost of heating, cleaning, etc.

Funding so far promised:

HWCC £200.00

Three Choirs Fringe £250.00

Arts in Action £100.00

Leominster District £250.00

_______

£800.00

4

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